State legislatures in a number of states are considering laws that would allow guns (in some cases including concealed handguns) on university and college campuses.

In some states, such legislation appears to be voluntary—permitting higher education institutions to decide whether or not to allow guns on campuses.

In other states, legislation would clearly require universities and colleges to comply with state law, forcing higher education administrators to allow guns on their campuses.

Arizona is one of the first states to pass legislation mandating that guns be permitted on campuses. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on this story.

Faculty and students at Northern Illinois University will be interested in following these developments, since the presence of firearms on campus remains a sensitive issue in the wake of the 2008 shootings at NIU.